Designing an Effective and Scalable UV-Protective Cooling Textile with Nanoporous Fibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Radiative cooling offers energy-efficient temperature reduction for buildings and individuals.
• Large-scale adoption of radiative cooling is hindered by manufacturing, material, and design limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a non-disruptive, additive method for enhancing textile cooling and UV protection.
• To investigate the optical and thermal properties of nanoporous microfibers for passive cooling applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an extremely thin layer of nanoporous microfibers.
• Integration of the microfiber layer onto a standard cotton t-shirt (160 GSM).
• Measurement of cooling effect and ultraviolet (UV) radiation blocking efficiency.

Main Results:

• A cooling of approximately 1.4 °C was achieved by adding 1 GSM of porous fibers to a 160 GSM cotton t-shirt.
• The material demonstrated significant UV blocking, with 91% of UV radiation prevented by a 7.5 GSM porous fiber mat.
• The method requires no additional materials or post-treatments, showcasing a minimalistic approach.

Conclusions:

• The nanoporous microfiber layer presents a simple and effective additive solution for passive cooling and UV protection in textiles.
• This approach facilitates the integration of advanced functional materials into existing textile manufacturing.
• The findings support the advancement of sustainable and accessible functional materials research for broader applications.